Spouses in happy marriages have affairs. What are we all looking for?
He held a gun to my head. I loved him.
Just before I fell in love with a man who abused me, I spouted off to my New York City roommate that I’d never be stupid enough to stay with a man who hit me. Like most people who are naive about the complexities of relationship violence — victims and bystanders alike — my dismissal of the dangers of abusive love cost me dearly.
Why people fall for dumb Internet hoaxes
Last month brought a great deal of fanfare, and accompanying snarky outrage, about a new “Satire” tag on Facebook for content sources like The Onion. Yet fake “news” items — which run deeper than satire — continue to propagate rapidly across the site, as well as on other social media platforms, such as Twitter.
This Is What Weight Loss Does To Your Brain
New research shows weight loss surgery can reverse the negative effects body fat may have on the brain.
From Kerala to France: Brainwaves emailed
Here’s a story that sounds like science fiction but actually happened. A man in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, thought the words `hola’ and `ciao’ (hello or goodbye in Italian) and another man in Strasbourg, France, received the two greetings in his brain. No hands, no speaking, no typing, no gestures -just mind-tomind communication.
B. K. S. Iyengar, Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West, Dies at 95
B. K. S. Iyengar, who helped introduce the practice of yoga to a Western world awakening to the notion of an inner life, died on Wednesday in the southern Indian city of Pune. He was 95.
R.I.P Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar
I was fortunate to have taken his Saturday classes in Mumbai, until I left for Hawaii. Iyengar Yoga changed my life in many ways–including changing from a mostly meat-eater to a vegetarian 23.5 years ago.
This is what he looked like back then:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t2OLXi2xvY
Unfortunately, the clips that I have viewed on YouTube do not display his relaxed, mischievous manner. I can still see the infrequent flashes of impatience or frustration. The occasional “kick” or “whack with a rope” followed by the loud chuckle or laugh. [I use quotes as the “hits” never hurt’ He always knew what he was doing.]
Yoga Makes You a Quicker, Better Thinker, Study Finds
Practice hatha yoga consistently for eight weeks and you’re likely to think faster and better remember things. Stretch and do toning exercises and your brain functioning is likely to stay the same
You’re 16. You’re a Pedophile. You Don’t Want to Hurt Anyone. What Do You Do Now?
There’s no helpline for pedophiles who want treatment before they act. So a teen with a terrible secret had to find his own way to save himself and others like him.
Watch Robin Williams Converse With Koko the Gorilla and Be Charmed
In addition to many millions of humans, at least one other primate is likely mourning the loss of actor and comedian Robin Williams today. Koko, the gorilla who communicates in a modified version of American Sign Language and is said to understand even some spoken words, filmed an ad campaign with Williams in 2004 to raise awareness of threats against gorillas. The video below shows their first meeting, where Koko asks Williams to chase and tickle her, steals his sunglasses, and rummages through his wallet.
Robin Williams was one of many comics battling depression
Note: I usually avoid TEDtalks because they tend to be peppered with over-generalizations and oversimplifications presented as facts. [They also have the feel of a public confession with the inevitable “feel good” bonding.] In Breel’s talk, he makes two inaccurate statements:
1. “Real depression is being sad when everything in your life is going right.” That excludes every case in which a person is depressed because they have, or had, stress and trauma. A common reason a person can become depressed is when s/he feels little control over what happens to him or her or over their lives. Which is why a person may become depressed not just when faced with a major loss or severe abuse but also when promoted (with new responsibilities) or when experiencing success that draws a lot of public attention.
2. “Depression isn’t chicken pox. It’s not something you beat and it’s gone forever.” Not true. There are individuals who may be depressed just once or a few times and never again.
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Comics are peddlers of fun, truth and taboo, but more often than not, they’re an introspective bunch, too. They hawk their jokes in places with names such as the Laugh Factory or the Comedy Cellar — hardly the sort of venues where one goes to hear banter suited to a therapy session. And yet, for the past three years, the Laugh Factory has provided both: Once they’re done with a set, comedians can see an in-house psychologist.